As it turns out, the relationship between Apple and Palm is even less amicable than we already thought it to be. Bloomberg got their hands on communications between Ed Colligan, then-CEO of Palm, and Steve Jobs in which Jobs made a proposal in which the two companies would promise to refrain from hiring each other's employees. Colligan, however, rejected the proposal, calling it wrong and "likely illegal".

Some might see this as collusion and cartel like but how is it any different to unions restricting supply of labour and pushing up the price of labour. If one is going to have labour unions and allow the sorts of laws in some places which call for compulsory unionism - then at the same time it would be consistent to then allow companies to have an agreement not to poach each others talent.